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Hand Signs Late Deal With Mets

(PR) Bridgewater, NJ- Former Somerset Patriots right-handed pitcher Donovan Hand has been signed by the New York Mets to a minor league deal.

Last season for Somerset, Hand pitched 103 innings over 24 games and struck out 77 batters before leaving the team at the start of the playoffs for personal reasons.

Prior to joining Somerset, Hand had two years of service at the Major League level, most recently with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015. The 6’3” hurler also spent the majority of the 2013 season in the big leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he posted 3.69 ERA over 31 appearances (seven starts). Hand owns a career 3.53 ERA over 71.1 innings of work in the Majors.

The Tecumseh, Alabama native spent the first eight seasons of his professional career in the Brewers organization before playing in the Reds organization in 2015.

Hand set career highs in saves (13) and strikeouts (71) with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds in 2014. Additionally, he carried an ERA in Triple-A below 4.00 from 2011-2013.

He was the 14th-round draft pick of the Brewers in 2007.

Hand is the ninth member of the 2016 Somerset Patriots team to join a Major League organization. Starting pitcher Darin Gorski (New York Mets) along with relief pitchers Gus Schlosser (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Brandon Sisk (Seattle Mariners) all had their contracts purchased during the season. Infielder David Vidal (Miami Marlins) and pitchers Nik Turley (Minnesota Twins), Alexis Candelario (Los Angeles Dodgers), Jim Miller (Minnesota Twins) and Jeremy Bleich (Arizona Diamondbacks) were all signed earlier this offseason.

About Mike Ashmore

A new resident of Raritan after many years in Three Bridges, Mike Ashmore is a 2001 graduate of Hunterdon Central Regional High School who began his career covering professional sports two years later. Since then, he's covered countless other teams and events ranging from the Stanley Cup Final, World Series, Daytona 500, NFL, UFC and many others as a freelancer working in the area. Mike is now in his fourth season of covering the Somerset Patriots for MyCentralJersey.com, and 14th season overall.